People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

He was forcing Ernst to come to Columbia.

Mark Max vividly remembered that he had visited Scherrager during the World's Fair, met Ernst, confirmed his guess, and, most importantly, extremely importantly, he extended an invitation to Ernst to visit Columbia when he had the time!

The results of it?

Mark Max waited and waited, almost half a year had passed, had Ernst come? Had he really come? Did he come at all?

Tathagata!

Forget about receiving Ernst, Mark Max hasn't even seen a shadow of Ernst in the past six months!

Mark Max never imagined that this day would come, from the moment he was created by his own father, Trevor Friston.

He's been cosplaying as a pigeon for decades, and one day he actually encountered a real "pigeon"!

Good grief, Ernst stood him up?

Mark Max also wondered if Ernst might have been held up by something, since anything involving a pre-civilization could be incredibly complicated.

When he looked closely, he was surprised to find that Ernst, that snow leopard, had gone to Casimir to watch the Terrans fight crickets, rather than come to Columbia to chat with his godson, catch up, and maybe even see his biological father, the Preservator.

Have you forgotten about that *Colombian* snow leopard?!

Cough cough cough, no, no, we can't slander him like that.

But we can't just let Ernst continue to openly "gossip" at him!

After much thought, Mark Max decided to come up with a way to get Ernst to come to Colombia on his own initiative.

But to his surprise, the moment he had this thought, the military proactively sent him a pillow.

Thank you very much.

So, Mark Max stopped his bird stand. Don't meddle in this; it's not our place to get involved yet.

Rhine Labs has been cooperating with Ernst for so long; they're not so easily defeated, so we can let things rest for a while. And Ernst, frankly speaking, has a temper too.

Human children get upset and throw tantrums for a day or two when their parents stand them up for the weekend amusement park trip that was supposed to be arranged. Are they not allowed to have any emotions?

Besides, his great father, the wise, powerful, and exceptionally intelligent Preservator, is not someone anyone can just see whenever they want.

There are differences among humans as well. Compared to the chaotic little animals like Terra, he does indeed have a higher tolerance and a certain degree of respect for humans, or rather, "quasi-humans." But this doesn't mean he's a sycophant. If humans fail to demonstrate his value, or even try to obstruct him and hinder the Preservator's policy of continuing civilization—and such extreme individuals do exist among humans, according to the Preservator's records, these people are often extreme defeatists and extreme power worshippers—Mark Max would even kill such people on the spot if he discovered them.

One type of enemy shouts "Our army has been defeated! Our army has been defeated!" while trying to drag the entire civilization down with them, while the other type shouts "Banzai!" while wanting to fight the Observer!

This is of no benefit to the survival of civilization.

Although, at least in his current observation, Ernst does not belong to either of these two extreme groups and is destined to receive his courtesy, since there is an opportunity for him to demonstrate his value and let the Colombian president witness the splendor of a pre-civilization, it is not unreasonable.

As for the final result, it doesn't really matter what it is.

Even if Ernst completely ignored Rhine Lab, Mark Max wouldn't be surprised in the slightest. After all, such petty squabbles by the Terrans probably wouldn't even attract his attention.

At worst, we can think of other solutions later. The worst-case scenario is to go to Sherag again and remind him.

As for the compensation, Mark Max had already prepared it—besides meeting the [Preservator], Rhine Labs didn't need any distinction between branch offices or headquarters. There was only one Rhine Labs in the world.

The reward is of course given regardless of success or failure. Even if Ernst really doesn't care at all, he will definitely step in in the end and send someone to save Rhine's life, because it is a matter of his respect.

As creators, we should show respect to our fellow beings, even if it involves only the slightest calculation. We should apologize and make amends for having such thoughts.

What? You're asking if Ernst could have gone directly to see the Preservator if he hadn't taken the pigeon and had come straight to Columbia?

Um......

Yes.

He was just angry. Even though "cooing" was one of the three fundamental aspects of humanity recorded by Friston, and as a machine he might not be able to comprehend its profound mysteries, he was still dissatisfied!

Therefore, he couldn't explain anything to Wilson. Otherwise, what would become of his image as the eternally wise, eternally healthy, and eternally calm "philosopher king" president?

Chapter 479 Vina's "Camel Diplomacy"

Shelag, Tukarim, Shelag Government Office Building.

Time flies, and it's already the end of 1094. The harvest festival celebrations, this year's sacred hunting ceremony, and the year-end summary of the previous year's work have kept the Sherag government busy for a long time.

The Sherag government expanded its recruitment this year, taking in many Sherag people who had "opened their eyes to the world" as grassroots public officials. The government's influence and appeal at the grassroots level have officially expanded from Tukarim to the entire Shiva'ish territory, as well as the territories of the other two major families.

This certainly doesn't mean that in the past, the Sherag government was a small government where "royal power didn't extend beyond the county level" and "decrees didn't leave the office building." In fact, the more Sherag developed, the more its government's influence expanded. It's just that in the past, if the government needed to force the leaders of the three major families or residents of other territories to do certain things, it relied more on Ernst's influence. Now, the government itself has a certain level of influence, and even without using Ernst's name, departments like the Ministry of Engineering and the Ministry of Commerce can have a say in what they want to do.

Some might ask, is this enough?

To be honest, this is certainly not enough. Due to his own cultural background, Ernst has always been a staunch big government advocate. Undeniably, his authority in Sherrag is now almost unshakeable, but the Sherrag government is not.

With his close ties to the government, his prestige can influence the government and ensure policies achieve their desired results. But what if he were to leave one day?

This is something we have to consider, but it's not actually that urgent.

Ernst is still young, and the Sherrag government has only been established for a little over a year. He doesn't have a magical "~" key that allows him to input a string of code and instantly change the political system and the mindset of the entire nation.

Breaking down an old world and building a new one are equally important, but the latter often takes much longer than the former.

Many people are feeling their way across the river in this process, and the opportunities to try and fail are often disproportionate to the costs incurred. Ernst, to some extent, has already been working with a textbook in mind, but the establishment of a system, its adaptation to national conditions, and its long-term survival are still a long process that needs to stand the test of time.

Nothing is accomplished overnight. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; you can't rush things. Taking each step steadily and pragmatically is the only way to succeed.

And buying time and creating the environment for this inevitably long process is what Ernst has always been doing.

Miss Joyce the White Owl is preparing this year's financial report and planning next year's budget. Her department has the most staff. After all, even if she is a humanoid computer, her computing power has its limits. As Sherag develops, she naturally needs many people to assist her work.

Vina from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also busy during this time. She proactively proposed the "camel diplomacy" plan to Ernst. On this festive occasion, a small gift was presented to several leaders of the Terran countries who had good relations with Kjerag and Ernst—a young snow camel from Kjerag.

Ernst was initially puzzled. What was the point of sending a camel cub to someone during the Lunar New Year?

Ernst could understand if you said you were sending a large camel, since camel meat is delicious. But a camel cub...

I've never heard of any foreign leader having to choose a small bullet when being executed.

But Vina's explanation quickly made him realize:

"This information came from Miss Defiance."

"The snow mountain camels of Sherag are actually quite rare. At least in Victoria, the Duchy of Castle, and the Duchy of Windermere, although there are camels, their camel breeds are generally not as big as the snow mountain camels of Sherag. Their endurance, mobility, cuteness, lifespan, and even... the quality of their meat are not as good."

As Vina spoke, she scratched her blonde hair somewhat shyly.

Ernst couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The meat quality is alright. This topic is actually quite serious, so why does he inexplicably want to laugh whenever this word is mentioned?

However, Ernst could understand what Vina meant.

Isn't this just "panda diplomacy"?

Ernst hadn't noticed it before, but now that he thinks about it carefully, the snow mountain camel of Shelag does have quite a few similarities to the giant panda.

The camel-like animal of the Xielag Mountains has existed for a long time and is a unique species of Xielag. The giant panda also has a long history and is not found in other countries.

The snow mountain camel is cute and docile, and is one of the few creatures that can directly undertake the functions of carrying people and transporting logistics without training. The giant panda is also docile and cute. Although it is an omnivore, it eats bamboo most of the time and is not very afraid of people.

Moreover, the reputation of the camel-riding beasts of Xielag Snow Mountain has gradually spread recently, thanks to Ensioudis's extensive promotion of camel-riding beast beauty pageants, races, and competitions, gaining a large number of fans of dubious origin—cheering on the camels during races and praising their deliciousness afterward, seemingly possessing a knack for online slang. As for the giant panda's fame, Ernst doesn't need to explain; who in China doesn't know about giant pandas?

As for whether giant pandas are appealing... well, I suggest not trying it unless it's an emergency.

Moreover, the camel-like beasts of the Shelag Snow Mountain have never appeared together with giant pandas!

In conclusion, the argument is complete: the Snow Mountain Camel Beast is indeed the giant panda of the Sherag people!

"Vina, great idea!"

Ernst praised her sincerely, saying that, to be honest, he was quite impressed with Vina.

Perhaps this is a case of being too close to the situation to see clearly? He had lived in Sherag for over twenty years and had become so accustomed to the magical Terran creatures like the Snow Mountain Camel Beasts, which could be frozen in ice for half a year and still survive after thawing that they were completely oblivious to this unexpected ability.

Vina, on the other hand, successfully seized this opportunity.

Ernst was even somewhat surprised, because the snow mountain camel-like beast also had a certain strategic significance.

Admittedly, in Terra today, transportation is generally carried out using mechanical vehicles. However, there are always special circumstances where machinery is powerless.

For example, steep cliffs, extremely cold ice fields, and Originium environments that can cause instruments and equipment to malfunction.

But camel-like animals can, except for the last one. The first two environments are even the professional habitats for snow mountain camel-like animals.

Ernst nodded:

"This is an excellent idea, go for it! Compile a list, then we'll go find Ensiodis together. Didn't he just open a camel breeding base?"

Ernst recalled the billboards he had seen on the way back and couldn't help but chuckle.

Well, just thinking about Enciodes's expression makes Ernst want to burst out laughing. Not to mention the benevolent expression on Jian's face. It might work well as an advertisement for strangers, quite deceptive, but for people who know them, like Ernst, the contrast is so stark it's almost unbearable to laugh at.

Vina nodded happily.

This was the first time she had mustered the courage to propose a national-level diplomatic plan to Ernst. Although she had repeatedly considered the plan beforehand, ensuring it was theoretically foolproof, she still couldn't guarantee Ernst's approval.

After all, Ernst always thought further and more complexly than she did. She was just a half-baked amateur. If Ernst hadn't brought her back, she might still be wandering the streets of Lentinium.

Now, Ernst's praise is like a piece of honey, filling her with motivation and giving her more confidence.

After so much time and effort, she has certainly not let Ernst down!

This is the best harvest festival gift she has ever received!

"Dong dong."

The knocking brought Vina back to her senses, and Hinterlea's voice came from outside the door:

"Boss, someone is looking for you."

Ernst frowned; there shouldn't be anything scheduled on the timetable at this point.

He turned his head to look at the side door cubicle, where Holhaya walked out and shook her head as well:

"No, there are no plans."

Ernst then replied:

"who is it?"

Hinterlea paused for a moment, seemingly hesitant: "Uh... I don't know her either, but she said she had your autograph, so she found this place."

"My signature?"

Ernst blinked, exchanged a glance with Vina, and said:

"Please come in."

Hinterlea, dressed in a dark blue women's suit and pencil skirt, pushed open the door and entered. Behind her, a pink-haired little...cat? walked in somewhat awkwardly with its head down.

“Boss, this is the one,” Hinterlea said softly.

Compared to Hinterlaya, this visitor's clothes were obviously much more worn, even somewhat dirty and messy, suggesting that his journey had not been smooth.

But Ernst recognized her at a glance, his face showing a mixture of surprise and realization:

"You are... Miss Susie from Caraton City!"

This happened quite a long time ago. It was back when Ernst visited Lateran for the first time at the invitation of Mostima, the papal envoy.

To reach Lateran, Sherag needed to cross Victoria, including Caraton, one of the Duke of Godottin's territories. It was then, out of curiosity and a desire to investigate, that Ernst took Deffin and Vina to the infected community of Caraton, where they shared a drink at a pub. It was also on this trip that Ernst adapted "A Worker's Questions After Reading History" and gave it to Deffin.

This was fulfilling his promise to the Duke of Windermere to take good care of and educate Daphne, and also reflecting his high hopes for the Duke's heir, hoping to provide the future Duke of Windermere with some inspiration.

Inspire us to be more human.

Susie was a waitress at that bar. Before she left, Ernst and Defiance each gave her a business card, telling her that if she encountered any trouble in the future and could no longer live in Caraton, she could go to the Duke of Windermere or Sherag to find them.

Ernst may not be able to help everyone, but he can help those in front of him.

Karaton was relatively peaceful at the time, and the establishment of the infected community reflected Duke Godotin's moderate and tolerant approach to territorial issues. For a Terran, long-distance travel was extremely costly, and Ernst assumed Susie wouldn't come looking for her; after all, as the Grand Duke of Victoria, Duke Windermere's territory was closer than Sherag's.

But Susie chose to come to Shelag.

It's not that Ernst was unhappy with Susie's "You really came?", but Susie's arrival was probably a signal—something had changed in Caraton.

"Miss Susie, welcome."

Ernst, having calmed down somewhat from his earlier relief at Vina's "beast diplomacy" plan, looked at the young woman, Felin, who was bowing her head, silent, and clutching Ernst's autograph tightly, and patiently comforted her.

"Don't worry, the promise I made back then still stands. You'll be safe once you get to Shelag. Relax a little."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Hinterlea and whispered the instructions: